For the first time, the Democratic Alliance has beaten the ANC in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, by 5%.

According to the provisional results, 46.71% of voters chose Mmusi Maimane’s party in the Eastern Cape region, which was previously held by the ANC.

The national ruling party took 40.12% of the votes. The EFF trailed behind in third with 5.12%.

News24’s Lizeka Tandwa reported there were loud cheers from DA supporters after the provisional results were announced.

Earlier today, the ANC has withdrew its complaint to the IEC regarding the outcome of elections in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.

“We… raised issues in the context of free and fair elections with the IEC. The IEC has come back to us in terms of the issues we had raised,” spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said on Friday.

“All we needed was an explanation of certain things that we have raised, of allegations of irregularities. Those things have been explained to us. We are in the process of considering the withdrawal and we are satisfied with the explanation of the IEC.”

The complaint related to the discovery of marked ballot papers at the back of the IEC results centre in the region.

Briefing media at the IEC results centre in the region on Thursday, ANC regional task team convener Bheza Ntshona said the party was lodging the complaint.

“We have noted irregularities to such an extent that we consider the elections not to be free and fair. The result of these elections, while not yet final, will not reflect the will of the people in Nelson Mandela Bay,” he said at the time.

On Thursday night, DA leader Mmusi Maimane claimed victory, saying his party projected that it would win 47% of the votes in the metro.News24